The
Sussex Cyclists’ Association was formed in 1921 to promote time trials,
contests, competitions and social events for members of cycling clubs located
in Sussex. From the outset an important role of the Association was to
provide competitive rides for members who could not otherwise qualify for open
events which were then extremely popular and often oversubscribed.
Consequently all time trials promoted by the Association were restricted to
members of clubs affiliated to the Association.As
well as providing time trialling opportunities for Sussex riders the newly
established Association also provided a controlling body to promote county
championships at all recognised distances (10 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles and 100
miles). In addition a county Best All Rounder (BAR) competition was created
which, at that time, was over 50 miles, 100 miles and 12 hours and reflected
the then enthusiasm for long distances.Since
the establishment of the Association cycling has gone through a series of
changes and the Association has taken these on board to reflect the needs of
our local cyclists.In
the decades following the 1920’s cycling experienced a waning popularity and there
was a gradual but steady decline in the number of competitive cyclists. The
consequence was that it became unusual to have full fields for time trials that
were restricted to entry by members of Sussex affiliated clubs. All events
promoted by the Association are now open events. This means that entries are
acceptable from any rider provided that they are a member of a club which is
affiliated to the national Cycling Time Trials Association.The
good news is that in more recent times the declining trend has reversed and cycling
in the UK has gone through a renaissance as there has been a significant
resurgence in interest and participation. Cycling has become much more of a
mainstream sport and the increased press coverage and numbers of roadside
spectators at major events. The likes of Sir David Brailsford, Sir Bradley
Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Sky, together with success at Olympic cycling, the
Tour de France will have had a major influence. The Giro D’Italia starting in
Ireland and the Tour de France starting in Yorkshire and the upgrading of the
Tour of Britain are all as a result of the fantastic public interest now being
shown.The
general upswing has been mirrored in the experiences of our cycling clubs in
Sussex. Over the past few years there has been a tremendous increase in club
members throughout the county. For example Eastbourne Rovers membership grew
from 67 to 239 in just two years. New clubs are emerging and the competition is
hotting up again which is wonderful to record. It is also pleasing to record
the camaraderie shown between members of the various clubs as they attend time
trials or more generally on social media such as Facebook. The community is a
vibrant one.Time
trialling itself has changed dramatically in the past 20 or so years. It is
only as recently as 1989 that Greg LeMond caused a sensation in the final stage
of the Tour de France by using aerodynamic tri-bars and went on to claim a
dramatic victory. Since then bikes and clothing used for time trials have
evolved and have become very specialised. GPS cycle computers and heart rate
monitors emerged and as the price of these items has reduced so their take up has
proliferated. Power meters have also arrived on the scene but the high price
means that these really are only for the extremely enthusiastic. All of these
sort of changes have filtered down to the local club scene as the products
develop. As always the choice of what to use is up to the individual rider and
a wide variation can be seen at any event. Even now it is not uncommon to see a
road bike in use, perhaps with the addition of clip-on tri-bars. This is a
great way for newcomers to the sport to dip their toe in the water.As
times have changed and enthusiasm for longer distances diminished, the nature
of the competitions promoted by the Association has evolved to reflect the type
of event that today’s modern rider expects and demands. The focus is on
promoting cycling in Sussex by encouraging members to participate in
competitions that include open events taking place partly or wholly in Sussex.Whilst
continuing to promote time trials at 10, 25 and 50 miles together with a hill
climb, it has been necessary to incorporate other open events, namely the
Southern Counties 100 and the Kent CA 12 hour, in order to keep the tradition
of the Sussex Championships at all recognised distances. More
recently, in 2013, an additional championship distance of 30 miles was added to
the roster. In each of these championship events first claim members of
affiliated clubs compete for a variety of trophies and awards.The
BAR competition has been through a series of changes to reflect the activities
of the competitive cyclist today and to further encourage participation. There
is now a range of BAR competitions to suit individual needs. 2014 saw the
latest revision of the competition. These changes affected the number of rides at
each distance and more significantly the switch from VTTA standards to CTT
standards for veterans’ calculations.

The Sussex BAR competitions are based on open events taking place partly or wholly in Sussex and those promoted by local cycling associations or member clubs.

Other initiatives include the introduction of the Sussex SPOCO competition to cater for those interested in the more sporting type events and the Sussex Championship Points competition to add a further dimension to the championship events.

In addition to the Championship events the Association also promotes various other events including the 22.8 mile Hardriders, 2-up team time trial, two sporting events at 10 and 25 miles, and holds an annual prize presentation.